New Zealand' McCullum, Taylor to skip Sri Lanka tour

New Zealand's Nathan McCullum drops a catch from the bat of England's Alastair Cook during the ICC Champions Trophy group A match at Cardiff Wales Stadium, Wales June 16, 2013. REUTERS/Philip Brown/Files

REUTERS - New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and senior batsman Ross Taylor will skip next month's limited overs series in Sri Lanka to prepare for December's home tests against West Indies, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.

Top-order batsman Kane Williamson would lead the team in the three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement.

"Ross and Brendon need red ball preparation to be at their best for the summer," Bruce Edgar, NZC general manager national selection, said.

"Both players are vital to our success and fine tuning their red ball skills before the West Indies series starting in early December is paramount."

New Zealand are scheduled to host West Indies for three tests, five ODIs and two T20 internationals during the series, which starts on December 3.

Resting senior cricketers was part of a plan to manage players' workload and widen the talent pool in the shorter formats keeping in mind the 2015 World Cup, which New Zealand will co-host with Australia, the board said.

"This summer we have 37 days of international cricket at home and Brendon and Ross are expected to play all of these, so it's essential that we manage their workloads," Edgar added.

The Black Caps failed to win a test during their drawn two-match series in Bangladesh which ended on Friday. The teams now embark on three ODIs and a lone T20 international to conclude the tour.